03709_0099: The Stembler Family

FL-3 January 30, 1939 The Blake Family (white) 348 N. W. 35th Street Miami, Florida (Collector) Elvira E. Burnell, Writer Good needs cutting

THE STEMBLER FAMILY

The long, narrow frame house occupied by the Stembler family is built on the rear of the lot and can scarcely be seen from the street because of a row of tall Australian pine trees planted closely together across the front of the lot. Just enough opening is left to walk thru on a stone walk which leads straight to the house. It has always been the desire of Minnie Stembler to have the yard fenced, but at the present time, rocks and shrubbery take the place of a fence along the sides and back of the lot. To the left is a large hibiscus bush; a stone bench placed close to it makes a very inviting spot, and during warm weather the young folks spend many pleasant hours there.

Minnie is a great lover of flowers; discarded washtubs and tin cans are used as receptacles for ferns, cuttings, and young plants. These are placed on either side of the three steps which lead directly into the house. A large rose apple tree branches out and reaches to the front door. The house has never been painted.

"The house is so old now, Tom won't paint it because the paint would soak in too fast and cost too much," Minnie said. "When we bought the place, 17 years ago, it was just a tworoom cottage and Tom kept buildin on until now we've got six 877

2

rooms. The house ain't much, but at least it's all paid for. We always hoped to build a real nice house on the front of the lot, but we've had all we would do so far to raise our four girls on the salary Tom earned as collector for the Meyer Furniture Co."

Elizabeth, the oldest daughter is married; Laura, age 22, is engaged to be married; Martha, 20, married two years ago before finishing high school; Anna, 17, is a senior in high school.

I have known the family for a number of years, and as they have never been without at least one dog and cat, was not surprised when a young dog came rushing down the steps to greet me. There is no screen door, and the wooden door was open, so I walked in.

Minnie was sitting in the front room, hand-sewing on a patchwork quilt. "Sit right down and join us," she said. "I know you won't mind me sewing as we talk. Scat," she said to a large cat, that was curled up asleep in a chair, as she shoved him off to make room for me to sit down. A young girl was rocking a baby in the center of the room, and Minnie introduced her as a friend of Martha, her daughter. This front room is seldom without visitors as Minnie has many friends, and is always ready to sit down and talk with them, regardless of housework, which is supposed to be done entirely by the girls.

"The rest of the house ain't 'made up' so we'll just stay here," is the usual beginning; most of the company just remains there, unless the room gets too crowded, then she will tell the

878

3

girls to take their company to their own room.

"Martha and Gene are back home again," began Minnie. "Gene is out of a job and they haven't got any money to pay rent, so we let them stay here with us. We don't have too much food, but we are glad to share whatever we have with them. They have had mighty hard luck ever since they got married, though Gene did have a job at first, runnin an elevator. Martha was very anxious to have a baby, and got that way right away, but luck was against her. As you know, I just love children and was lookin forward to becomin a grandmother, but the baby was born too soon and it died. Seems almost as though it's the Lord's will, I am not to have a grandchild for Martha had another miscarriage after the first baby. She needs an operation now, but lan' sakes, where the money would come from is more than I know - she'd have to go in on charity, I guess, but she's just puttin if off, long as she don't feel too bad. She ain't but 20 so she's got plenty of time.

" 'Lizbeth's baby, a little girl died too several weeks after birth. Doctor said there was something imperfect about its digestive organs; they kept the baby in the hospital, and did all they could, but couldn't save it. 'Lizbeth can't have any more children, and Martha shouldn't, I guess, but she says she'll keep right on tryin, as she's just crazy for babies-- takes after me, I reckon. Remember, when my girls were small, I'd have all the children in the neighborhood here--people used

879

4

to think I was runnin a kindergarten. Laura ain't very strong, she had a serious operation last year, so I figure it'll be up to Anna to give us the grandchildren.

" 'Lizbeth and Bob live in Atlanta now and seem to have better luck than they did in Miami. At least Bob has got steady work, and last time 'Lizbeth wrote she said she had a job in a candy factory. She is in poor health, too, and ought not be workin."

Minnie, who doesn't weigh more than 100 pounds, looks like she needs a doctor's care herself. Thin, sallow, and very wrinkled, she looks more than her fifty years; her brownish hair is half gray. She wears it in a motherly fashion pulled straight back and done in a tight knot on the nape of her neck. Her large, expressive blue eyes offset the drab picture she otherwise presents, in her faded print dress.

The room in which we were sitting serves as a living room. There are no windows; good sized openings, screened, take the place of windows. Cretonne curtains hang from these. The ceiling is very low, and instead of plaster, the walls are covered with boards. The open space just to the right of the door has been converted into a cage for two canaries by placing another piece of screening on the inside of the window's edge. A very worn, dirty gray rug is on the floor, matted with cat hairs; several throw rugs which Minnie made out of various pieces of colored material are also on the floor. Neither dog nor cat is house-broken and the odor is apparent. An old-

880

5

fashioned piano, partially covered with photographs of family and friends, is the main piece of furniture of this room. When Anna is at home she is usually playing on it; Minnie also gets much pleasure out of it, particularly when her church friends come to see her. They gather around and lustily sing hymns to the accompaniment of the piano. On the same side of the room, against the wall, are a settee and arm chair to match. These are upholstered in dark blue velvet and are covered with cat and dog hairs.

On the other side of the room is a flat topped desk, and a covered typewriter stands on a small table. A radio is on the desk. A rack contains several books, among which is Florida In the Making, The Life of Jesus Christ, a city directory, dictionary and a good sized Bible; also fashion magazines, movie magazines and church pamphlets.

"I guess you knew Tom ain't with the furniture company any more. After he had that last eye operation, they realized his sight was awful poor, in spite of his trying to keep 'em from knowin, and they put him on half time - guess they were afraid he'd have an accident or something - then later they let him off altogether. Times have been pretty hard since then, and we're glad we have a roof over our heads and that the place is paid for. A friend of Tom's in Jacksonville has given him a start in building up a business like he was in Jacksonville, that is, to locate and repossess cars for out-of-town finance companies. I dont know where Tom could get a job now, so he's mighty glad

881